4 Apr 2024
NVL preview (6th and 7th April): Wessex hoping to clinch Super League spot
One of the most intriguing, season-long battles has been in Women’s Division 1, where Wessex and Stockport have been trading blows throughout in the bid for top spot and promotion to the MAAREE Women’s Super League.
Wessex remain firm favourites to go up, leading the table by a point and with a game in hand.
They travel north to face Stockport on Saturday and fourth-placed Everton Belugas on Sunday knowing victory against either would secure coveted top-flight status.
Even a 3-2 loss in Greater Manchester in the first match would secure the title by virtue of a superior set quotient, but should they lose 3-0 or 3-1, then the pressure would be on them to deliver on Merseyside.
Only if Stockport win the two rivals’ meeting convincingly, and the South Coast Club also falter in Liverpool can the North West side come out on top overall, otherwise, they will have to settle for a play-off spot, where they already know they would face Super League side London Lionhearts.
National Shield finalists Leicester Athena could move up one place in the final reckoning to fifth if they were to triumph at Everton on Saturday.
The final fixture to finish off matches in the division sees already-safe Southampton host already-relegated Bristol.
Top two Essex Trinity and Herts will meet at St John Payne School on Sunday to decide who will be champions and win promotion from Division 2 Central.
Trinity have a slender one-point lead, meaning whoever comes out on top will take the honours, Herts by virtue of a superior set quotient should they win 3-2 and finish level on points.
At the bottom end of the table, Norwich Spikers, who visit third-placed Northampton, and Rhinos Cambridge, who host already-down Coventry and Warwick Riga 2, are battling to avoid the drop.
In Division 2 North, Urmston Grammar have three games over the weekend as they play catch-up – and need just one victory to stay in the division for next year.
They host champions Sunderland on Saturday and then have a triangular double header, again at home, against Manchester Marvels Mayhem and Manchester Marvels Mystics, on Sunday.
Leeds Gorse 2, meanwhile, will need to triumph at unbeaten Sunderland to have any chance of staying up.
Elsewhere, second-placed Sheffield visit mid-table Everton Narwhals on Saturday.
The final game of the Division 2 South season sees so-far-unbeaten London Giants – who are already champions – look to go 100% for the season when they host Sussex Dolphins.
York Falcons and Hull Thunder will both look to clinch a play-off spot by finishing runners-up in Division 3 North as they round off their regular seasons playing each other in a triangular that also involves Chester Amazons.
Straight sets victories in both matches for either will mean they achieve their respective goals, going above current second-placed team Manchester Liberators.
Black Country need one more win to guarantee the Division Three Central title as they prepare to play Leicester Athena 2 and Ashfield Vipers.
The weekend’s other triangular fixture pits Black Country 2 against Lincoln Cannons and Wombourne at the Cleobury Mortimer Sports Centre.
In Division 3 South West, Cheltenham and Gloucester have their eyes on the prize of the top spot and promotion ahead of their triangular with Plymouth and Plymouth Mayflower.
They know that wins over the division’s bottom two sides means they cannot be caught, no matter what second-placed Plymouth UTV do in their own triangular against Southampton 2 and third-placed Urbond Portsmouth.
UTV’s match with Portsmouth looks likely to be critical in deciding who clinches the play-off spot, should C&G do their bit.
In Men’s Division 1, the main focus is on who will clinch the play-off spot behind champions Essex Blaze.
London Giants currently occupy second spot, but Black Country are snapping at their heels, two points behind, but with a game in hand, and could go above their rivals should they win at home to fellow West Country side Tamworth Spartans on Saturday.
Were that to happen, it would set up a showdown between the two rivals in their respective final games of the season to see who can tee up a play-off against the ninth place team in the Super League for the right to play in the top division in 2023-24.
The Blaze are also in action as they round off their campaign by travelling to fourth place London Aces, while Cambridge ARU and Coventry and Warwick Riga draw a line under their seasons.
Division 2 North has been a close-run thing throughout the campaign, so it’s fitting the champions will be decided by a face-off between the top two in the table.
Hull, currently top, lead Lincoln Cannons, in second, by one point as they head south over the Humber Bridge to take on their rivals, with the winners securing a place in Division 1 next season.
The division’s other fixture is a Merseyside derby between the bottom two, already-relegated sides Everton Dugongs and Liverpool.
There are also two matches in Division 2 Central, the most important of which will decide who goes down along with Dartford Crossers, who finish up with a game at Cambridge.
Wombourne, second from bottom, host MK City, third from a bottom, knowing they must secure a maximum-points win in order to reverse the situation, meaning a tense battle is in prospect.
All promotion and relegation issues have been decided in Division 2 South, but Wiltshire Mavericks could move up to fourth should they see off both Spelthorne Lions and then Wessex in convincing fashion.
Richmond Bucks conclude by welcoming bottom-of-the-table City of Bristol to the Kingston College Arena.
Leeds Gorse 2 go into the weekend knowing that two victories in their West Midlands triangular will see them top Division 3 North and clinch promotion.
That is by no means a given, however, as they play Coventry and Warwick Riga 2 and then Black Country 2, who are themselves fighting for a play-off spot.
Relegated Darkstar Derbyshire 2 and Sheffield 2 also go head to head.
Newcastle Staffs 2 have the luxury of completing the last two games of their season in a triangular with Manchester Marvels Marauders and Urmston Grammar knowing they have already won the Division 3 North West title.
Also bringing their season to a close on Saturday with a triangular at Holly Lodge Girls’ College are Liverpool U18, Manchester Marvels Mavericks and Intervolley Manchester.
A triangular fixture forms part of the action in Division 3 South East, where the promotion and play-off positions have already been allotted.
Champions Rhinos Cambridge can extend their winning margin at the top when facing Onyx and Wapping Wildcats.
GNG Bedford and Essex Etonians will remain sixth and seventh in the table regardless of the outcome of their season-concluding match.
With Southampton having already wrapped up the title, the only question remaining in Division 3 South West is who will finish in the play-off spot, with Worthing and Cardiff Panthers in the hunt.
They meet on Sunday in a triangular that also involves Reading Aces and the victor in that will likely secure second spot.
For all the fixtures across the country, click here.
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